Moral Absolutism In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Jennifer Rodgers

English Master’s Theses

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, explores several complex and trans-historic topics, many of which relate to the playwright's experiences during the McCarthy era. Miller asks his audience to value independent and personal truths, which he defines as more morally right and good than social truths. This is because, in the playwright's mind, social truths are often manipulated and exploited to gain a desired personal result regardless of how they affect other's lives. In order to illuminate this point, he repeatedly plays with the concepts of truth and lies, confession and accusation, as well as public and private ...

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Near the end of the twentieth century, various and even contradictory literary criticisms are available. Which one is best for interpretation? Specifically, which one is best for interpreting Jane Eyre? The answers vary. Terry Eagleton, for example, declares that "there are indeed Marxist and feminist theories of literature which ... are more valuable" since his hypothesis ts that "literature . . . is vitally engaged with the living situations of men and women: it is concrete rather than abstract". What he means is that literature occurs in a social context.

What Is Love?, Karen Baker

Manuscripts

The Philosophy Of Time In Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, And The Waves, Erica B. Willis

English Master’s Theses

This research project considers various philosophies of time as they are represented in the writing of Virginia Woolf. The project frames the discussion with the idea that Woolf’s work embodies these pre-existing theories in revolutionary ways. The three specific texts examined for this research areMrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves as they respond to the philosophical and scientific temporal theories of Henri Bergson, Albert Einstein, and Friedrich Nietzsche. The study highlights the examination of time as a process that has obsessed centuries of writers, intellectuals, and scholars. It also demonstrates Woolf’s belief that the concept of time ...

The Dramatic Function Of The Gravediggers' Scene In Hamlet, Q. L. West

Manuscripts

It is unfortunate that one of the scenes most often cut from contemporary productions of "Hamlet" is the first scene of Act V, the gravediggers' scene. The scene is, after all, static; it is merely a lyrical passage which seems, at first, to delay the movement of the drama, and, at all events, to add nothing to it. The producer wants swift, forward-moving action, and, certainly, he finds little enough of what he wants in the almost perverse, but always fundamental, deliberateness of this play. Consequently, one of the first scenes to be eliminated is almost invariably this one, despite ...

Honors Thesis Projects

In recent years, the mass popularity of young adult dystopian novels has led literary scholars to question the rise in popularity and the impact of such novels. This project explores the social justice potential of dystopian fiction, especially young adult dystopias, to act as a model for the way that rebellion can be an important and useful tool in standing up against injustice in society.

Using Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games, this project argues that young adult dystopian fiction can model for young people a personal evolution in understanding social change and the revolutionary possibility of actively standing up ...

Discovering The Literary Relevancy Of Watchmen: A Review Of The Graphic Novel's Philosophical Themes, Tyler Flynn

Senior Honors Theses

The American comic book, specifically those of the superhero genre, is a medium that has been associated with stagnant, morally upright characters and formulaic plots. However, author Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons changed said stigma with their groundbreaking series Watchmen. An analysis of the work’s storyline, as well as some of the main characters, will reveal the deep philosophical and psychological underpinnings of the graphic novel, and, more importantly, its literary merit. A Christian interpretation of the work will also be presented.

The Sacred Role Of Animal Beings In Iroquois Lore, Melissa J. Martinelli

English Theses

The act of storytelling provides a connection between the spiritual and physical spheres, and the Haudenosaunee people (more commonly recognized as Iroquois) utilize the oral narrative to convey the most sacred truths of their culture. In focusing primarily upon animals and animal beings, one can recognize the deep reverence traditional tribal members feel toward animals as certain legends seek to unite individuals with the spirits, personalities, and bodies of such creatures in narrative form. Too often animals are overlooked as “lesser” beings, yet in legends of the Iroquois they possess potent orenda (great power) that can help one achieve success ...

670 Ft., Valerie Brewer

A short story that explores the inner turmoil of man named Archie, whose life hangs in the balance as he contemplates whether or not he should take the plunge off the edge of a metal beam 670 ft. in the air. What originally began as a quiet lunch between four men had somehow become a fatal nightmare. While he watched as the crowd gathered below, listening to the pleas of his coworkers beside him, Archie couldn't help but remember every little thing he had let build up inside, until it all came spilling out as soon as the words ...